Cicurina japonica (Simon, 1886)
Description
Male
Male palp with almost globular patella, thicker than tibia. Tibial apophysis long and paddle-shaped. Conductor with 2 spiral twists, second one distinctly projecting. Embolus long and thin.
Prosoma pale yellow with distinctive thoracic furrow, lenses of posterior eye row partly variably reduced. Chelicerae with large basal segments and 3 teeth on anterior furrow margin. Opisthosoma oval, pale yellow, moderately densely haired. Spinnerets weakly conical.
Female
Epigyne with large groove, large receptacula seminis and medially convoluted entrance ducts visible through epigyne.
Body length female: 2.1-3.3 mmAdditional information
In open locations with much stony debris, imported to Central Europe
This species of Asian origin is not native to Europe (alien species). It had been introduced to Europe at least once and did establish.
Distribution
Phenology
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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Figures
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Pedipalp
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Pantini & Isaia 2008)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Mazzia 2024)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Mazzia 2024)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Mazzia 2024)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Mazzia 2024)
Pedipalp, ventral view
(Okumura & Ono 2025)
Pedipalp, retrolateral view
(Okumura & Ono 2025)
Conductor
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Eyes, dorsal view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Tibia
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Epigyne
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Epigyne
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Epigyne
(Okumura & Ono 2025)
Vulva, ventral view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Vulva, dorsal view
(Pantini & Isaia 2008)
Eyes, dorsal view
(Wunderlich & Hänggi 2005)
Distribution List
"No references" does not mean that the species does not occur in this country, but that we have not yet inserted the reference for it. We are working on it.
References
Blick T, Finch O-D, Harms K H, Kiechle J, Kielhorn K-H , Kreuels M, Malten A, Martin D, Muster C, Nährig D, Platen R, Rödel I, Scheidler M, Staudt A, Stumpf H, Tolke D (2016) Rote Liste und Gesamtartenliste der Spinnen (Arachnida: Araneae) Deutschlands. 3. Fassung, Stand April 2008, einzelne Änderungen und Nachträge bis August 2015. Naturschutz und Biologische Vielfalt 70/4: 383-510 
Hänggi A, Stäubli A (2012) Nachträge zum „Katalog der schweizerischen Spinnen“: 4. Neunachweise von 2002 bis 2011. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 44: 59-76
Isaia M, Tolve M, Pantini P (2025) Araneae.it: 2.0: the new updated version of the digital catalog of the Italian spiders and other arachnids (Arachnida: Araneae, Opiliones, Scorpiones, Pseudoscorpiones, Palpigradi, Solifugae). Fragmenta Entomologica 57: 197-204
Lissner J, Scharff N (2019) Danish Spiders. Formerly online at http://www.danmarks-edderkopper.dk
Mazzia C (2024) Cicurina japonica (Simon, 1886) (Araneae, Cicurinidae), une nouvelle espèce pour la France. Revue Arachnologique (2) 11: 2-3
Okumura K I, Ono H (2025) A new species of the genus Cicurina Menge, 1871 (Araneae: Cicurinidae) from Hachijojima Island, Tokyo, with notes on the congeners in Japan and China. Acta Arachnologica 74: 45-49
Pantini P, Isaia M (2008) New records for the Italian spider fauna (Arachnida, Araneae). Arthropoda Selecta 17: 133-144
WSC (2026) World Spider Catalog. Version 27. Natural History Museum Bern, online at http://wsc.nmbe.ch (13.2.2026) doi: 10.24436/2
Wunderlich J, Hänggi A (2005) Cicurina japonica (Araneae: Dictynidae) - eine nach Mitteleuropa eingeschleppte Kräuselspinnenart. Arachnologische Mitteilungen 29: 20-24